Bing Wallpaper of the day, which will auto-update your lockscreen image. Sadly developers to not have access to this, meaning we don’t expect 3rd party 7.8 apps to have this feature.

New boot screen with updated WIndows Phone logo

New Office logo, though OneNote is not a seperate app like in WP8

There is no Wi-Fi keep-alive feature, no SMS-call reject and Internet Explorer as far as we can tell is exactly the same. In addition, Office and Zune Music were not updated to either current version or with their rebranding.

The oddest thing is how AT&T opted to have the “look” of the 7.8 match 7.5, meaning on a fresh install you can’t even tell there are different Tile sizes. Users will essentially have to discover this new change on their own.

Although we may sound a bit down on 7.8, we will emphasize that one of the biggest “experiences” with Windows Phone 8 is those new Tiles and Accent colors. If you think about it, it’s the number one thing you interact with on a daily basis. In other words, although this update is light on new features, the ones included will go a long way in making your phone “feel new”. That’s just from our personal experience.

AT&T has not given an official date on this update for the Lumia 900 or other Windows Phones, though seeing as the update is waiting on Nokia’s servers we believe AT&T will be one of the first carriers to deliver to users.

So in other words, we shouldn't expect much support from MS once we've been suckered into their system. If we shouldn't expect simple things like custom alerts for sms or emails, that are on competing products, then why continue supporting them in the future? Like the guy above us said, at least give us metadata for our pics so we can at least see what day we took our freaking picture on!

On WP8 it's in Accessibility Options ... OK, thank you anyway.
For me this is the most important and missing feature which I cannot belive is so hard to implement.
MS don't pay attention to small but very important features as usual, I'm really sorry for these guys...

Thanks!!!
Actually I ware glasses and for me this is the most important feature, just because if I cannot see what's written on the display I cannot use the phone.
Anyway you are right about the rest...

It took me 6 years to get bored of IPhones. But MS and Nokia took less than 6 months to get me pissed. My mistake I didn't research if the lumia 900 supported Hindi. And now MS would hold me at ransom again with the 7.8 lollies. At least with my IPhone, i could browse Hindi, watch OD TV and iplayer and do online banking. I might be just one unhappy customer for MS. But this is it with the windows phone.

And the fact that the WP community is the deifinition of "comformist" is kind of sad IMO . It's the lack of demand that makes us think WP engineers are just sitting on their ass and makes me see new buyers ask simple questions like "can you change the background of this phone?" "Does it have a notification system like the iphone?" "Can i set a custom text tone?" -No, no, and no. Why would they even buy it? Yeah the hardware is nice, but the software is mediocre and VERY limited. Perhaps iOS might be limited too , but people are easy to forget because of the amount of apps available and thats the truth that not most want to accept.

I just wanted a phone that would have modern useful features. Yeah the "start screen" is nice, but zune is pretty much dead, would it have killed them to search for things by name in the OS? As much as I hate comparing WP to anything else, universal search is a MUST HAVE feature in smartphones nowadays and the fact that not even MSFT's "latest mobile OS" doesn't even supported is listed as beyond pathetic for the consumer. The design is nice though , but me like many others are moving away from WP , and going to iOS or Android. At least they have features.. lots of them at that.

I am using both, a lumia 800 with flashed official 7.8 rom and a lumia 920 with wp8, and here's my two cents on the whole thing. 7.8 allows you to customise your start screen much more than 7.5. You can now pin a lot more tiles allowing for a lot more notifications on the start screen itself. However, that is the only purpose it goes to serve because the smallest size of tiles cant really do much beyond that. Still it serves a good purpose ensuring that you can track a lot more notifications.
One place where wp8 really scores over 7.8 is the lockscreen customisations and increasing the total number of apps that can provide lockscreen info to 5+1. That I believe is one feature that SHOULD have been made available in 7.8 as well.
And ofcourse the fact that all new apps support far more features on wp8 than they do on 7.8.
I'll still say my lumia 800 is far better than an android or iOS device, but when you compare it with a 920, its found lacking.

Mentioned this in the other post, but I just wanted to reiterate how thoughtless it was of Microsoft to leave out basic features of a smartphone experience and just move on leaving those locked in contract stuck for a bit and with a sour taste. Features such as multiselect in messaging and photos (but we have it in advance Wifi???), Smart dialing (c'mon basic phones have had this), find on page in IE (WP 7.1 had this!), keep wifi alive. Some other features that come to mind to just make WP a more solid experience would be like ink support in OneNote (stupid to not have this feature since OneNote is more of a TabletPC app), IE button change (like on WP8, not expecting IE10, but something like that would have been nice). Seriously the Start screen is a really solid touch, but why focus so much time on that, delay it, and not even delivery some much needed features to make this a better OS. It is a much Welcome update, but it doesn't really bring WP7 to being more current like an update should do.

I bought a Focus in November of 2010, loved it.
Bought a 900 last May, love it.
Its a great phone as is.
The new tiles will be wonderful.
Quit your whining, the 900 is a great phone.
For those of you complaining about WP7 being left behind, I've got a first generation iPod touch that won't run a fraction of the apps that are now available for apple.
Its just the way it works.
(for that matter, I also have a carbureted 1979 Jeep that gets piss poor gas mileage compared to newer versions)

For those who claim to be an early adopter and disappointed, well the true early adaptors bought in 2 years ago and so surely it's time for an upgrade. people who bought 6 months ago would know that every 6 months new phones come out and so you're will be outdated already. if those people want the latest they could sell their current model for a couple hundred $ and then upgrade for a couple hundred more. second hand 920's are already appearing on eBay at decent prices. but like a lot of people have said the biggest thing i like about WP8 is the start screen and that's exactly what you'll be getting. the new tile sizes and the way they flip just give the live tiles even more life! every other upgrade is more hardware related.

Honestly, I could live without any updates except Tiles. Taking out the "gutter" and having 1/4-size tiles would make my Start screen just so much more useful. I'd have at least twice as much stuff on there as I do now, live tiles for everything!

Exactly. A lot of people see this as a minor update. But the start screen is the most used part of win phone. So that makes this a HUGE update for me. Trying to be patient, but very excited to be able to customize my tiles. I bought this phone before i knew there would ever be any option to resize tiles. So nothing to complain about, update will come and its a bonus. Everyone keep cool and quite bashing MS about having to wait for an update that no one expected in the first place. :)

Will the 7.8 update fix the internet explorer bug with tabs? By that I mean if I have it set to open new windows in a new tab explorer throws me out to the start screen, or just spins the live tile and won't open at all. Other people have had the same problem, and so far I haven't found a fix short of a hard reset which I don't want to do.

I thinking if I should migrate back to Android. Reason being firstly my HTC titan has basic features missing like always on wifi, bluetooth file transfer, games, apps and support. Even the Samsung Galaxy S2 is starting to get 4.1 jellybean update. With almost everything the S3 has. We haven't even got ours yet. Whereas 7 months later all we get it adjustable tiles. I regret moving to WP sometimes. Just wish we has basic features from WP8 just for being loyal. Shocked that wallpaper notifications or rooms was not added. Hope they move quick to a new update otherwise I fear loss of customers for Microsoft. :(

I remember when they where had that one page where we could say what we wanted on 7.8 & they'd look into and se if they could add it & of all the things ppl posted only those couple of things made it to 7.8.
That's pretty disappointing. I really wanted screenshot but I still want that start screen though.

Can't believe people are pissed about this update. MS have been saying since June last year that it's the new start screen.

Now, I get why non-Nokia users might be pissed, because they really are only getting the start screen and the other minor changes. Those with Nokia devices are also getting bluetooth sharing, ringtone maker and cinemagraph. No, you cannot run WP8 apps, they run on WP8 (oddly enough). However, other than the non-Nokia apps there really is very little functionality that 7.8 users are missing.

The most important thing for me with the update was that it not have the same effect that updates on other platforms have, i.e. slow the device to a crawl. 7.8 runs flawlessly and really the new home screen would have been enough on its own for me.

Anyone expecting more than what Microsoft have said repeatedly was in the update ... well I don't really know what to say about that.

I think MSFT just included the basics here in 7.8 as it was something they decided to do late (for whatever reason) and couldn't include everything possible. Now I see no reason why they wouldn't add in rooms, lockscreen notifications, kids corner, WiFi keep alive, and other features of WP8 that the current WP7.x hardware could support. Hopefully MSFT treats their early adopters well and continues to update. I don't think it would keep a lot of people from upgrading, but if they are worried about that and this is the main reason they held features back, maybe they better push on the phone OEMs to produce some more elegant hardware!

Daniel mentioned that there was nothing to indicate to the user that they could adjust the tile sizes, but I'm hoping that when users update and plug into Zune, that the description will listed there. It would be a shame for people to not realize that this feature comes with the update.

I just flashed my 900 last night. Love the update. Makes a huge difference in experience. Plus with the double wide tiles for messages and emails give previews of messages. Very useful for me. Wish there was a double wide clock app like HTC has.

Im not sure why people are not happy about this update,a lot of the new stuff wee see are compatible,according to msft..for me my lumia 900 does its jobs for my everyday use,I dont see my self doing something different with wp8.. Im glad Zune is still Zune..im still able to play and drag music from my PC to my lumia unlike Xbox music.. Can't wait to have those small and large tiles..

Guessing they left the titles as the middle size is because if you updated someone's say messaging title to double wide it would screw with the home screen layout you already have. I would expect brand new phones pre loaded with 7.8 to have double wide titles in its image as that's a fresh start, not an update to existing hardware.

TBH after using WP8 and the new tile system on my L900 I agree with MS on upgrading the start screen as one of the best updates. The tiles now look so lively and Lumia 900 was fast anyways. I have actually started playing with my 900 more than my current 810. Wifi keep alive could have been implemented and lock screen notifications...and WP7.8 would be complete, but not having them doesn't change much. The update is a welcome change!

Looking forward to getting 7.8 through Rogers. If im not mistaken, I remember a slide being posted here about a post 7.8 update (7.x/7.9) that would eventually follow. Hopefully this is the case so MS can squeeze in additional features (ie. Screenshots, rooms, WiFi stay-alive, etc...) but of all of them, please give the ability to copy/paste cells in Excel. It makes NO sense that I had this feature on 6.5 but not in WP7.x or even WP8. Ridiculous.

I updated my L800 to 7.8 some time ago using NaviFirm. What I noticed is that the sound issue that existed in 7.5 version before last Nokia FW update, is back in all its glory in 7.8. Very disappointing. Low volume and almost no bass and treble while playing music. Did anybody noticed yet? Same on L900?

Pretty much confirms what WPCentral has reported on previously with regards to what 7.8 would bring, so no who has been reading this site for the past year should be surprised by what this update brings.

With that said, I have absolutely no regrets of my purchase of new Lumia 900, off contract, in November 2012. From what I can see, the differences between 7.8 and 8.0 just aren't that significant to me and my day to day usage. I will however, purchase the new Lumia when it is released in November 2013.

Dianel, I just saw the video and that is the new Office logo. Also, doesn't 7.8 now allow Nokia over the air updates which in theory they have access to modify our phone how they wish (to some extent)? Will OTA updates require carrier approval? Can they bypass carriers?

I like the gutter too; I will upgrade, but how soon is the question. I just have to decide if I like the gutter more than having the option to use Steel, Olive,Crimson, or Indigo as color choices for my tiles.

This was supposed to be the "Hero" device. #IMO this feels like we were def part of the "beta testers". Nokia and MS if not any other phone, this should have def been the one to receive something that resembles WP8 in terms of features besides a damn start screen refresh. So much for devices being supported up to 18months.

Pretty bare bones... But this is plenty to get me by until contract renewal and second Gen WP8 devices. Flashed my 900 last night and am happy with the minor changes... Having 18 tiles on the screen is nice. :-P

MS needs to clarify thier stance on this. Back in 2010 when WP7 was announced, they said there would be 2 versions of Windows Phone supported at any given time. That may have changed but no one has come out and said so.
Right now, that makes WP7 and WP8. It's similar to how they work with Windows. Just because a new version is on the street doesn't mean the previous version is EOL.

while the cosmetic change is nice, and i agree that the new UI will make old phones feel fresh, the kernel changes are going to make it near impossible to reccommend anyone to buy a wp 7.x device (like the 1saleaday deal on the 900) as you are buying into a dead platform.
as wp8 gains steam expect all support for wp7.x to stop from the handful of 3rd party developers, including nokia.

i get why the change was necessary, but adding in some kind of emulation layer for basic wp8 apps would have made it a little easier to swallow for people stuck with 7.x devices.

I think rooms will be like if you were on another platform, meaning if a WP8 user adds you then you're in but you won't be able to set one up on your 7.8 phone...my brother added me to his family room. ;)

Nope the new Zune experience is essential for me as well as the array of features including live lock screen, keep-WiFi, and many other useful features. I have not tried it but if the only new features are the resizable title and new color accent, then that long wait on the first place?

Because it was more than obvious that Microsoft made this update up right before the Summit. No one in the biz knew about it because it didn't exist/wasn't planned. It was to help with the blow-back stemming from the 900 just being launched.

Sure the OS has been floating around for the last 2 months, but it takes a lot of coding/testing before a rollout. That and the WP team were focused on WP8.

This is a huge disappointment for me. I'd much rather Nokia/MS give me a voucher as an apology for their ridiculous over the top smartphone beta test is over launch of the Lumia 900 so I can actually upgrade to a phone that has the features we expect in a smartphone. This consolation update is a cold slap to the face. #rant

I have no idea why you bought the Nokia 900 when we all knew WP8 would be here sooner rather than later. If you think Windows Phone has slapped you in the face, you better not ever get a non nexus android. What a slap I felt with EVERY android device I ever owned.

Please share your list with me because as far as I know games and most apps are still supported for most android phones..wp was the no compromise, beta test is over, amazing phone that was the best of all worlds yet if u don't have windows 8 u don't get certain apps or features and this is still a fairly new OS. android adds new features yes but most of them don't notice or care because the phone and apps still work three versions later. I never seen people get left behind as bad as this 7.5 to 8 jump, there is no incentive to make new apps for wp 7 now and that's gonna hurt some customer loyalty.

Hate to say it but i must agree. Looks like I will be making my move to Android. Love the WP OS but Android has a very nice selection of apps and even games that support bluetooth controllers. This is great for someone that travels as much as I do. iOS offers no controller options and a tiny screen and WP has no good games (just crummy puzzlers) and no future hope of any good games. Also I bought the L900 becuase I was watching Nokia owners get all these apps and support while my focus got nothing. I did not use my upgrade because i wanted to wait for WP8 to see if it changed anything but it did not. What has changed it Android and JB offers a much improved and well rounded OS so that is where I will be going. JK Good Android devices like the GS3 are $200 with a 2 year contract which is rediculous and I didnt even spend that much on my L900 out of contract.

I'll share my $0.02 . I bought a Motorola Cliq XT android 3 years ago. I Was promised an upgrade from 1.6 to 2.1 for over 12 months by Motorola themselves. . The upgrade went to beta and they decided not to upgrade it.
Well, I ended up with a custom 2.3 ROM which made it infinitely more usable and stable. (it was unstable from day 1) , and made it into the phone it should have been.. a full 18 months after I bought it.
As for that Android phone,. I fired it up the other day to find 50 % of the apps I'd purchased are neither supported nor available any longer for 2.3 , including Pay Pal among the big ones.
It's justy a matter of time before someone over at xda hacks windows phone 8 onto most 7.5 devices. (Already been done on a few phones)

I'll share my $0.02 . I bought a Motorola Cliq XT android 3 years ago. I Was promised an upgrade from 1.6 to 2.1 for over 12 months by Motorola themselves. . The upgrade went to beta and they decided not to upgrade it.
Well, I ended up with a custom 2.3 ROM which made it infinitely more usable and stable. (it was unstable from day 1) , and made it into the phone it should have been.. a full 18 months after I bought it.
As for that Android phone,. I fired it up the other day to find 50 % of the apps I'd purchased are neither supported nor available any longer for 2.3 , including Pay Pal among the big ones.
It's justy a matter of time before someone over at xda hacks windows phone 8 onto most 7.5 devices. (Already been done on a few phones)

if you dont mind me asking what features are you looking for from WP8, I made the job and it pretty much feels like WP7 besides the start screen and the lock screen. The big thing I can think of would be kid zone and skype

Like Mr Rubino said, the new tile system is a BIG improvement. I have both Wp7.5 and wp8 and i can tell you it's the biggest change worth getting. The other main thing I notice is the speed but that's due to hardware difference. You can't do anything about that without upgrading hw.

Obviously MSFT was going to wait a bit before making WP7.8 available. They have from the get so said it would be 'some time after the release of WP8' where 'some time' would obviously mean not soon after. I think the three months they took makes sense from their perspective. It has given people an incentive to jump to a WP8 device.

Running WP7.8 on my L800 makes a big, no HUGE difference in the experience, The tiles sizes are really a life/device changer in this respect. Nokia has also added some extra bits such as the Bluetooth Filetransfer options and some other stuff. I have no doubt there will me more where that came from.

In all honesty, with the rumours of the new Lumia products I am quite happy with the 800 as it is now. While I have the impression WP7.8 is a bit more demanding as far as CPU usage goes it's still quite snappy and a joy to use. I might jump to a 620 in few weeks waiting for whatever Nokia is no doubt going to annouce at MWC to move to a bigger/better/stronger device later this year. WP7.8 has definately made me want a WP8 device sooner rather then later.

That's what I was thinking too. At least give us an updated browser. Looks like 7.8 is going to arrive with a limp, wet wimper. All these months of shoving your early supporters to the side only to give them the table scraps. Thanks Microsoft. You're a pal.

That is the exact reason why I am going to jump ship to BB10. At least for now, I am going to do to MS what they did to me. I'm sure I will come back, unless BB10 totally blows me away like WP7 did. I wrote MS about it trying to get more that just the same "early 2013" mumbo jumbo. They actually had the nerve to reply to my email with the exact same statements I had sent them regarding the "early 2013 release" saying they hoped that the Tim Myerson comments would suffice for now. I didn't even ask for a release date but that they simply give us more info than just a vague comment that they only gave because they finally got pressured into it. I also wanted to mad a comment about trying to make us early adopters feel appreciated. They didn't respond to my 2nd email telling them that they never even answered the questions I had initially sent them. I get the feeling Ballmer is getting a little heat from the board anyway, not because of WP but other things not quite going so well. Maybe we can have a change of command and MS will actually care about existing customers instead of worrying about how to woo new ones.

"AT&T has given an official date on this update for the Lumia 900 or other Windows Phones, though seeing as the update is waiting on Nokia’s servers we believe AT&T will be one of the first carriers to deliver to users." Should be has not given. Also office has a newer icon on my lumia...idk what that could mean.